6,500 km away from environment summit, a whole lake at Belapur is being slowly devoured by concrete

As delegates from 200 countries debate, squabble, and try to notch up green points discussing climate change at the 12-day Copenhagen Climate Summit, in another corner of the world in Belapur, a green lung is quietly disappearing.

At 30 acres, the Seawoods Lake is bigger than the Oval Maidan (22 acres) and is partly encircled by mangroves and is home to migratory birds like pelicans and flamingos. And when the lake is full, fishing takes place.

Yet, CIDCO refuses to call it a lake.

"It's nothing more than a depression where rain water and sewage from the surrounding areas accumulates.

The plot belongs to CIDCO and we will carry development work there, " said G S Gill, vice chairman and MD, CIDCO.

Depressing: Belapur's Seawoods Lake, which authorities claim is not even a lake, but just a 'depression'.

Even as CIDCO refuses to acknowledge it, residents say, the lake's death has begun debris is being systematically dumped on the shores and then, after a considerable build-up, it's pushed unceremoniously into the lake.

Said Rajee Sood, who lives at the Seawoods NRI Complex opposite the lake (from where the lake takes its name), "The lake is so beautiful, but if authorities keep dumping the debris in the lake, it will soon be gone.

A significant portion of the lake has already disappeared."

Added Vinod Punshi, another resident of the NRI Complex, "The lake needs to be beautified, instead they are destroying it. Our regular correspondence with the authorities has had no results.

They can't seem to understand that Seawoods is a lake, not a depression."

Dumping Yard: Residents say debris is being systematically dumped on the shores and then pushed unceremoniously into the lake. Join 'Save Seawoods Lake' on Facebook. Read More Read Next Story 'Raj's threat letter is a stunt'› Trending Stories Latest Photos Latest Videos Latest Web Stories ADVERTISEMENT Ganeshotsav 2026 View Details ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT